BOOK XXXV. L. 177-L1. 180 



showing that it contains a powerful abundance of 

 fire. Thunderbolts and lightning also have a smell 

 of sulphur, and their actual light has a sulphurous 

 quahty. 



LI. Near to the nature of sulphur is also that oi BUumf 

 bitumen," In some places it is a slime and others 

 an earth, the slime being emitted, as we have said, v, 72. 

 from the lake ^ of Judaea and the earth being found 

 in the neighbourhood of the seaside town of Sidon in 

 Syria, Both of these varieties get thickened and 

 solidify into a dense consistency. But there is also 

 a liquid sort of bitumen, for instance that of 

 Zacynthus and the kind imported from Babylon ; 

 at the latter place indeed it also occurs with a white 

 colour. The bitumen from Apollonia also is liquid, 

 and all of these varieties are called by the Greeks 

 pissasphalf, from its likeness to vegetable-pitch 

 and bitumen, There is also an unctuous bitumen, 

 of the consistency of oil, found in Sicily, in a spring 

 at Girgenti, the stream from which is tainted by it. 

 The inhabitants collect it on tufts of reeds, as it very 

 quickly adheres to them, and they use it instead of 

 oil for burning in lamps, and also as a cure for scab in 

 beasts of burden. Some authorities also include 

 among the varieties of bitumen naphtha about 

 which we spoke in Book II, but its burning property 11,235, 

 and liabiUty to ignition is far removed from any 

 practical use. The test of bitumen is that it should 

 be extremely brilliant, and that it should be massive, 

 with an oppressive smell ; when quite black, its 

 brilliance is moderate, as it is commonly adulterated 

 with vegetable pitch. Its medical effect is that of 

 sulphur, as it is astringent, dispersive, contractive, 

 and agglutinating. Ignited it drives away snakes 



39.3 



